A PIECE OF MAIL ARMOUR FROM THE ARCHAEOLOGICALEXCAVATIONS ON VICTOR DELEU STREET, CLUJ-NAPOCA

The present paper analyses a large piece of mail armour found during archaeological excavations in Cluj-Napoca, no. 1 Victor Deleu Street. In the course of this research, important traces of the ancient Roman town of Napoca came to light. The mail shirt may belong to the latest phases of Roman habitation, but, in the absence of an undisturbed find context, a later date cannot be excluded. The artefact was subjected to a series of detailed investigations, including X-ray and CT scan. The poor state of preservation, however, means that many uncertainties still remain. After the technical description, other issues, such as deposition and possible dating, are addressed. Assuming a Roman date for the mail, the presence of a military item in a civilian context is further discussed.